Facing the fiery furnace, the three Hebrew children refused to compromise their beliefs or change their behavior. They told the King, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand...But even if he does not...we will not serve your gods." With the words, "even if he does not," they took their faith to a higher level. They knew God could prevent it, but not that His plan called for it in this instance. But they'd rather die than deny or disappoint Him. Understand this: God can take you out of your situation or bring you through it. When he leaves you in it longer than you'd like to stay, He's developing furnace faith.
Furnace faith is dead to doubt and blind to impossibility. It reaches up through the threatening clouds and lays hold of the One who has all power in heaven and on earth. It makes the circumstances bearable and the future hopeful. Furnace faith believes that even if you do have to go through the fire, God will go through it with you. Listen to the words of a heathen king who watched it all happen: "I see four men loose, walking in...the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Da 3:25). Furnace faith makes you as free in the fire of affliction as you are out of it. Furthermore, when your friends see the Lord in there with you, it'll convince them like nothing else.
Happy Birthday to your little bro! What a great lesson to take with me this week! Thanks so much! xoxo
ReplyDeleteLove little brothers!! happy birthday to him!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of being as free in affliction as you are out of it...There's also the importance of affliction that is good to remember (if not difficult) within life, I often think that a person is only as good as their afflictions, however unfair this may be. If there is no challenge, there is no life.
Happy birthday to your little brother! I cannot wait to see the cupcakes, those sound heavenly!
ReplyDeletexo
Valerie
Thanks so much for this post! I needed this to get me through the week, actually each day. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't get to making your cupcakes from last week; you saw what I made instead, lol!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your brother!
Faith is not believing that God can, it's knowing that He will!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post today!! Now for concert details!
Well that was a treat to read. Hey girl I haven't gotten a chance to say Hi! so HI!!! Thank you for following my blog & writing me some motivating and sweet comments lately. I needed that. Things are better now & I needed everyone's support. Thank u! *Hugs*
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to your lil bro! Those cupcakes sound absolutely divine. I'd love to know the recipe! =)